49.2 F
Oxford

Why Oxford Will Always Be Home

Four years ago, Oxford, Mississippi, was just a city I knew nothing about. I couldn’t even tell you where it was. Now, I call it home.

Rachel Campaneria (right) and her friends on game day

My whole life I was raised in the same town, went to school with the same people… year after year after year… Don’t get me wrong; I love my hometown friends. But, I was yearning for a change.
After high school graduation, I moved to Oxford, an unknown territory without a single soul I knew. The small Southern town was completely foreign to this Florida girl.
When I first came to Oxford in 2014, I had no idea what I was doing. Yet, I jumped in feet first.
All my friends from home were going to the University of Florida or Florida State University together, but I didn’t want that. I wanted to experience life outside of my comfort zone. So, off I went, having no idea this move would not only impact myself as a person but how I saw others.
During freshman year move in, I was greeted by so many different people from so many different places, all going through the same thing as me. The Southern charm of the red brick buildings, the warmth of the sun and smell of azaleas, and the strangers that smiled and said “Hotty Toddy” as they walked by helped to melt my anxiety and surround me with a feeling of acceptance. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so alone anymore. Weeks went by, friendships were made and my floor mates soon became some of the greatest friends to treasure, even to this day.
Campaneria’s freshman year floor mates.

I went through recruitment and joined a sorority, one that I love with all my heart. Yes, people say this all the time, but I really mean it. Joining a sorority in college has helped me grow as a woman and educate me on proper things in life. But, most importantly, it has taught me the value of friendship, the value of diversity – that even though we are each unique, from different states, countries, ethnicities or religious beliefs – we are all there for each other with an unspoken bond of sisterhood that helps to ease the pain from being so far away from home. But even then, Oxford slowly began providing its own sense of home for me.
Oxford, although small, is full of beauty. Having grown up in the Sunshine State surrounded by water and ocean breezes, moving to Oxford was certainly an adjustment. Yes, there is Sardis Lake, not the Atlantic Ocean by any stretch of the imagination, but nonetheless it still provides the same sense of tranquility and peacefulness a Florida girl yearns for. We all grow and adjust to our surroundings and begin to see the beauty of the environment we are in. There is also a place I go with beautiful statuesque Oaks and a historic mansion and trails that almost take you back in time. They call it Rowan Oak. Countless times, I have found myself taking long walks there, feeling comfort, peace and answers to many of the struggles that a young collegiate has running through her naïve mind.
Then, there’s the food. You can’t live in Oxford and not like the food. This is Southern at its best! From “chicken on a stick” to “Sinfully” delicious gourmet cookies, grilled cheese sandwiches at midnight, breakfast fit for a king, elegant cuisine, endless crawfish, grits upon grits upon grits and the best sweet tea you can imagine, Oxford has it all. And it’s always served with a huge grin, a “Howdy, y’all” and Southern hospitality that is uniquely its own. But when I feel homesick, I go to Ajax Diner on the Square. They have the best home-cooked meals, like meatloaf and mashed potatoes… just like my mom makes. It’s meals like these which remind me of home hundreds of miles away.
Oh yes, the Square… some drive through it, or around it I should say, but don’t. You must walk the Square to get the old-time hospitality and charm of its history. Besides, this is where we, as students, proudly hoisted the goal post after walking two miles from the stadium the night we took down Bama. That night will live on forever in my mind. I was there. I lived it.
Which brings me to the fall, that time of year when all of Oxford is game day ready. It doesn’t matter if you went to Ole Miss, go to Ole Miss or dreamt of Ole Miss… Oxford IS Ole Miss during football season! Everyone, young and old, has their game day attire on, red and blue fills every store window, school flags proudly hung from upstairs porches, banners in front lawns, and chants of Hotty Toddy being sung down red brick pathways. Oxford comes to life on game day. The beautiful Grove, the tents, the people: one cannot fully appreciate college football game day unless one gets to experience Oxford’s own. The crystal chandeliers and red and white checkered tablecloths, bow ties and starched shirts, high heels and dresses, pearls and baseball caps, bone china and plastic cups… the Grove is tailgating at its best. With thousands of my closest friends dressed in our finest attire, walking under hundreds of Oak Trees, cheering on the Rebs as they pass through the Walk of Champions, chanting my school’s “Hotty Toddy” chant as loud as we can and then locking the Vaught right before we watch our Rebs play, these are memories I could never forget.
It is these memories that I have experienced in Oxford these past few years that I will treasure dearly after I graduate. I can tell you all about the first time I ate a crawfish, the late-night runs to Papa John’s my freshman year, the endless spring parties covered in thick red clay, where I was standing when we beat Bama, storming the field after we beat Bama, studying in the Grove during spring time, having snowball fights in the Grove when school was canceled for a week, oldies night at Funkys, Double Decker weekend… and through it all, the many friendships that have prospered because of one common thread: The love of Oxford, a town that opens its arms to thousands of young souls each year and helps them find themselves in a home away from home.
Making the decision to come to Oxford was a huge step in my life. It is where I grew, away from my comfort zone. It is where I became a young woman. I made lifelong friendships and experienced things I couldn’t have anywhere else. Oxford is the place I grew up. It is where I came of age and made personal achievements that will forever alter my perception of life. Oxford is more than the place I chose to go to school, it’s the friendly people that say “y’all,” it’s that feeling of family on game day, it’s the unfaltering Southern charm with porch swings and sweet tea. And because of all this, Oxford will always be a place I return to years from now. It will forever be in my mind. It will always be home to me.


By Rachel Campaneria, an intern for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at racampan@go.olemiss.edu.   
For questions or comments, email hottytoddynews@gmail.com.

Most Popular

Recent Comments

scamasdscamith on News Watch Ole Miss
Frances Phillips on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Grace Hudditon on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Millie Johnston on A Bigger, Better Student Union
Binary options + Bitcoin = $ 1643 per week: https://8000-usd-per-day.blogspot.com.tr?b=46 on Beta Upsilon Chi: A Christian Brotherhood
Jay Mitchell on Reflections: The Square
Terry Wilcox SFCV USA RET on Oxford's Five Guys Announces Opening Date
Stephanie on Throwback Summer
organized religion is mans downfall on VP of Palmer Home Devotes Life to Finding Homes for Children
Paige Williams on Boyer: Best 10 Books of 2018
Keith mansel on Cleveland On Medgar Evans
Debbie Nader McManus on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: The Last of His Kind
Richard Burns on A William Faulkner Sighting
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Bettye H. Galloway on Galloway: Faulkner's Small World
Ruby Begonia on Family Catching Rebel Fever
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
Greg Millar on The Hoka
jeff the busy eater on Cooking With Kimme: Baked Brie
Travis Yarborough on Reflections: The Square
BAD TASTE IN MY MOUTH on Oxford is About to Receive a Sweet Treat
baby travel systems australia on Heaton: 8 Southern Ways to Heckle in SEC Baseball
Rajka Radenkovich on Eating Oxford: Restaurant Watch
Richard Burns on Reflections: The Square
Guillermo Perez Arguello on Mississippi Quote Of The Day
A Friend with a Heavy Heart on Remembering Dr. Stacy Davidson
Harold M. "Hal" Frost, Ph.D. on UM Physical Acoustics Research Center Turns 30
Educated Citizen on Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving
Debbie Crenshaw on Trump’s Tough Road Ahead
Treadway Strickland on Wicker Looks Ahead to New Congress
Tony Ryals on parking
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Heather Lee Hitchcock on ‘Pray for Oxford’ by Shane Brown
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
Dr Donald and Priscilla Powell on Deadly Plane Crash Leaves Eleven Children Behind
C. Scott Fischer on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Sylvia Williams on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Will Patterson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
Rick Henderson on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
George L Price on I Stand With Coach Hugh Freeze
on
Morgan Shands on Cleveland: On Ed Reed
Richard McGraw on Cleveland: On Cissye Gallagher
Branan Southerland on Gameday RV Parking at HottyToddy.com
Tom and Randa Baddley on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
26 years and continuously learning on Ole Miss Puts History In Context With Plaque
a Paterson on Beyond Barton v. Barnett
Phil Higginbotham on ‘Unpublished’ by Shane Brown
Bettina Willie@www.yahoo.com.102Martinez St.Batesville,Ms.38606 on Bomb Threat: South Panola High School Evacuated This Morning
Anita M Fellenz, (Emilly Hoffman's CA grandmother on Ole Miss Spirit Groups Rank High in National Finals
Marilyn Moore Hughes on Vassallo: Ole Miss Alum Finds His Niche
Jaqundacotten@gmail williams on HottyToddy Hometown: Hollandale, Mississippi
Finney moore on Can Ole Miss Grow Too Big?
diane faulkner cawlley on Oxford’s Olden Days: Miss Annie’s Yard
Phil Higginbotham on ‘November 24’ by Shane Brown
Maralyn Bullion on Neely-Dorsey: Hog Killing Time
Beth Carr on A Letter To Mom
Becky on A Letter To Mom
Marilyn Tinnnin on A Letter To Mom
Roger ulmer on UM Takes Down State Flag
Chris Pool on UM Takes Down State Flag
TampaRebel on UM Takes Down State Flag
david smith on UM Takes Down State Flag
Boyd Harris on UM Takes Down State Flag
Jim (Herc @ UM) on Cleveland: Fall Vacations
Robert Hollingsworth on Rebels on the Road: Memphis Eateries
David McCullough on Shepard Leaves Ole Miss Football
Gayle G. Henry on Meet Your 2015 Miss Ole Miss
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Neely-Dorsey: Elvis Presley’s Big Homecoming
Jennifer Mooneyham on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Wes McIngvale on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
BARRY MCCAMMON on Ole Miss Defeats Alabama
Laughing out Loud on ESPN: Ole Miss No. 1 in Nation
Dr.Bill Priester on Cleveland: On Bob Priester
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
A woman who has no WHITE PRIVILEGE on Oxford Removes Mississippi Flag from City Property
paulette holmes langbecker on Cofield on Oxford – Rising Ole Miss Rookie
Ruth Shipp Yarbrough on Cofield on Oxford — Lest We Forget
Karllen Smith on ‘Rilee’ by Shane Brown
Jean Baker Pinion on ‘The Cool Pad’ by Shane Brown
Janet Hollingsworth (Cavanaugh) on John Cofield on Oxford: A Beacon
Proud Mississippi Voter on Gunn Calls for Change in Mississippi Flag
Deloris Brown-Thompson on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Sue Ellen Parker Stubbs on Bebe’s Letters: A WWII Love Story
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Tim Heaton on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Karen fowler on Heaton: Who is Southern?
Don't Go to Law School on Four Legal Rebels Rising in the Real World
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
bernadette on Feeding the Blues
Joanne and Mark Wilkinson on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Mary Ellen (Dring) Gamble on Ron Vernon: a Fellowship of Music
Cyndy Carroll on Filming it Up in Mississippi
Dottie Dewberry on Top 10 Secret Southern Sayings
Brother Everett Childers on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Mark McElreath on ‘The Shack’ by Shane Brown
Bill Wilkes, UM '57, '58, '63 on A Letter from Chancellor Dan Jones
Sandra Caffey Neal on Mississippi Has Proud Irish Heritage
Teresa Enyeart, and Terry Enyeat on Death of Ole Miss Grad, U.S. Vet Stuns Rebel Nation
P. D. Fyke on Wells: Steelhead Run
Johnny Neumann on Freeze Staying with Rebels
Maralyn Bullion on On Cooking Southern: Chess Pie
Kaye Bryant on Henry: E. for Congress
charles Eichorn on Hotty Tamales, Gosh Almighty
Jack of All Trades on Roll Over Bear Bryant
w nadler on Roll Over Bear Bryant
Stacey Berryhill on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
John Appleton on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Charlotte Lamb on Grovin' Gameday Memories
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on Two True Mississippi Icons
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Morgan Williamson on A College Education is a MUST
Jeanette Berryhill Wells on HottyToddy Hometown: Senatobia, Mississippi
Tire of the same ole news on 3 "Must Eat" Breakfast Spots in Oxford
gonna be a rebelution on Walking Rebel Fans Back Off the Ledge
Nora Jaccaud on Rickshaws in Oxford
Martha Marshall on Educating the Delta — Or Not
Nita McVeigh on 'I'm So Oxford' Goes Viral
Guillermo F. Perez-Argüello on How a Visit to the Magnolia State Can Inspire You
Charlie Fowler Jr. on Prawns? In the Mississippi Delta?
Martha Marshall on A Salute to 37 Years of Sparky
Sylvia Hartness Williams on Oxford Approves Diversity Resolution
Jerry Greenfield on Wine Tip: Problem Corks
Cheryl Obrentz on I Won the Lottery! Now What?
Bnogas on Food for the Soul
Barbeque Memphis on History of Tennessee Barbecue
Josephine Bass on The Delta and the Civil War
Nicolas Morrison on The Walking Man
Pete Williams on Blog: MPACT’s Future
Laurie Triplette on On Cooking Southern: Fall Veggies
Harvey Faust on The Kream Kup of the Krop
StarReb on The Hoka
Scott Whodatty Keetereaux Keet on Hip Hop — Yo or No, What’s Your Call
Johnathan Doeman on Oxford Man Dies in Crash
Andy McWilliams on The Warden & The Chief
Kathryn McElroy on Think Like A Writer
Claire Duff Sullivan on Alert Dogs Give Diabetics Peace of Mind
Jesse Yancy on The Hoka
Jennifer Thompson Walker on Ole Miss, Gameday From The Eyes of a Freshman
HottyToddy.com